Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-05-18
WHAT WAS SHE TO HIM!

/ 10 tllt htliNt tltti Nilltt AhN lAtN Va NAl'N
and a sudden thaw: what must it be Ia a
foreigner just landed who sets out Ia get
impressions of the greatest city uf the New
World, One day | Was ALI atom among
10000 shutiiing. skipping aud sliding
along the paVementS. leaplng the swollen
cutters and landing. ankle deep, in
treacherOuS holes covered with bits Of ice.
when overlook couple whom | knew
from their dress Ia bc Brtuns lately ar
rived \ tall man and II slender girl were
trudging along with that amiuble doggcd.
ness which our cou~inry love tu oppose
TO the worst weather, their every move
meut saying. Behold, We, being English.
care not for RAIN, snow or hal
They were 10 be sure, well provided
against ordinary inclcmeuCics of the air.
but ii glance M the s"pp!ng trousers ui the
gentleman and Ihc dTaGglcd skirts of the
lady showed that they were not prepared
for siN inches of snow water on Broadway.
Still they went ~Iu:dily forward without u
glance al the ears inat pa s~cd them and in
different 10 the hlandi>l mrntN uf cabs. |
fanuied they were not "A liIIlc disappointed
to find cabs over here a. in London, and
would have been glad 10 battle against the
storm unchallrnged. since after all the
weather was thnruE :hly original By
the WAY they pccred ~ the street lamps,
which in our town are especially devised
10 haFaSs the hurried and weary, IL was
plain they were looking for some harbor.
We Were near Amiry, ii | remember
rightly, and just then the gentleman
turned, hcSitatel, and in "A marked Eng
lsh accent addressed me without raising
his hat. inquiring the way Ia the New
York hotel He was an elderly man of
civil manners and an appearance one may
call distinguished. Bowiug in Difference
Ia his companion. gave the information,
and had plenty of time To examine Il face
that many would consider beautiful For
the young lady fixed on me eyes fine in
themselves, which Wee now wide with
AT innocent curiosity which strangers
,how toward the first specimens OF na-
ton they have come 10 see. II divinc6
rightly, she was busy deciding, firstly, If
| were an American: secondly. 10 what
class belonged; thirdly, my age; fourthly,
whether | was "A type or not--and 80
On. Yet somewhere under this pilileSs
examination there WAS "A sadness not AT
all in keeping with the brilliant, almost
blowsed color of her checks. whipped red
By ,he sleet that still filled the air. | re
ceived the impression Of face rich in
color. noble in expression, but perhaps eX
sggerated in the upper line of the nose,
where il lifted in way between the eyes
that suggested cruelty, especially in later
life. after the glamor OF youth should de
part and self be left behind bare of the
charms Of giTihood. But as passed on
it occurred To me that here was 4 cOun-
tenance that would prove lucky posses
sion To an actress, supposing It's owner
had the heart aud brain to express through
il the imagInings Of poets. Theu other
matters filled my mind.
As | ran into the university. where |
then had chambers. my friend Raymond
was coming out; ne called to me To iul-
low 10 l.arru's, on University place. if |
were not dining out. SO in course Of time
! joined him. finding at his table a fresh
faced young fellow with crisp, curling
hair, whom he introduced TO me Is i law
student in his Office. Larru :, by the way,
was famous once for red wine. cookery
and Italian opera singers-the first genu-
inc. the second delicious and the third a
tribe greasy. one draw back was Nine
Larru, Il tun in shape, who thought il
necessary Ia the success Of her restaurant
TO visit the tables i'll turn and relate 10
each group the same anrCdote Of AN ap-
palling vulcarity and Il stiffness complete.
Then she wuuld return To the caisSe and
quarrel with an ancient husband who
might have stepped as notary from the
French comic stage. his vituperatlou
sounding :! ii against the grumbhng
bass of the iragu. When ! found the
youth with Raymond to he English il re
called nv questiuuer on Broadway, and |
began 10 generallze on the strong race
types among the English; for. on eNamin-
ing his features, | could not fail 10 DE
struck with the certainty that some day
those young traits would enlarge and en-
noble themselves into something very like
the distinction of the gray haired gentle
man | had met half an hour before.
intended to allude 10 the couple, bat talk
ran back and forward So quickly that
whenever il occurred to me the moment
was not apt.
They were discussing n suicide which
filled the papers just then, and can hear
yet the joyous note i'll the Young English
mans voice when, bringing his hand
down on the table, he said:
We'll. Raymond. il did have to do so
insane thing u to take my own lie,
would not choose the best carpet of my
best friend and protector in IA foreign land
Oh which To let my life blood OUT
We laughed and Raymond said:
Pray don't. Ny rooms in the tower
are gloomy enough as il i, but to have
your ghost haunting them would make
them impossible. | would close them up
and never Use them again.
Ii turned ont that. in order Ia save the
young man the cost Of lodging, Raymond,
with that open hearted generosity for
which We love him, had put his bachelor
apartments AZ his disposal until his friend
could make way i'll the law. Raymond
was able TO do this without excessive self
denial, seeing he had married recently
and occupied cozy quarters with IL charm
ing little wife in the apartment house over
the way.
Then you are my neighhOr: y said |.
Il have the Companion tower, and when
warm weather comes We can smoke to-
gether behind the batticmentS of our big
roof and watch III .ympltly the comedy
of spring unroll itself among the treetops
vi Washington squire,
Al that our yoUUy man fell suddenly
thoughtful, sighed, II | am not mistaken,
and murmured When warm weather
comeSs-
did not know why the faintest stir OF
a shudder ran through Inc Us he said this
TO himself.
Raymond and began talking of affairs
IN which he had no interest. and presently
he announced that he had an early en-
gagement that evening. taking up rs he
said 80 The Evening Post, and glancing at
it without much interest. In a mQment
Ielt he had given II start, the hand hold
ing paper between us and his face
clenched convulsiyely; he rose and walked
unsteadily to his coat. put il on, laid
dollar by his plate, and turning for one
moment toward us face thought
looked rather ghas.ly, bowed and was
gone.
looked an Interrogation AT Raymond,